The Big Family Extravaganza v2009 – It’s Bigger and Better Than 2005! - UPDATED 7/17 About This Page:

[JoanW]

Can it really be 4 years since the last Welch big family trip? Not road trip, but big honkin vacation? v2005 was an almost two week vacay with a small Disney Cruise and a week in Disney in a rental home. The famous taco bed incident happened on that one.

So, let’s get this party started. Here’s the 4-1-1. That would be 1-4-1 for Pat who is math dyslexic. Try calling back phone numbers he leaves for you!

The cast of characters: Me, the mom, JoanW, who turned the big 5-0 this year; Pat, another LSDH, age 64, who will have to work till he’s 75 because we have teens still.; DD Grace, turned 18 this year, and graduated from high school; DD Rachel, age 16.80, is now a senior in high school. For the extended family, from Michigan it’s Dsis Mary Jean, age 48, DBil Dennis, age 51, from Maryland DB Michael, 51, DB John 43 and his GF Amity and her son Justin age 9; cousin Debbie, 51, who had gastric bypass this past year and looks fabu and her daughter Lauren, age 17 and is also a senior in high school. And also coming is Lauren’s BFF and her family, which we’ve maybe met their daughter once before. I think total in the group is officially at 16.

The celebrations: My 50th, Grace’s 18th, our 20th wedding anniversary, Grace’s high school graduation, Debbie’s weight loss, and what ever else we can think of.

Grace is sharing a Deck 3 oceanview cabin with her Uncle Michael. Let’s see if they can stand each other after 9 nights. The rest are also in oceanview cabins on Deck 3. Rachel is in ours, which I upgraded us to a Junior Suite, Deck 8, cause I’m a balcony snob.

The where: We are sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas, out of Baltimore. This is our first RCI cruise, having done two Disney cruises. And this is also our first for Baltimore. Maryland invested a ton of money building a new terminal, which can be seen from I-95, especially when a ship is in port. Maryland is now home to four cruise lines: RCI, Carnival, Celebrity, and Norwegian.

Our itinerary is July 2, sail away; July 3 at sea; July 4 at sea; July 5 San Juan, PR; July 6 St. Thomas; July 7 Samana, DR; July 8 Labadee (RCI private like Castaway Cay); July 9 at sea; July 10 at sea; July 11, home. That’s 9 nights of family togetherness.

The plans: I’ve booked beach excursions for Samana and Labadee, and the Zip Line for Grace and I in Labadee. The girls are swimming with Sea Lions in Samana, and I think we are just shopping in San Juan and St. Thomas. Almost 24 years ago I spent over a month working in Puerto Rico, so I just want to revisit a few of my fav places. For a FAB or two. See if my name is still on the wall at a certain hole in the wall. And I did the Bacardi Tour back then with the office, which was Big Fun, cause you went through the actual factory and then FAB’s were served after the tour. Yes, I had some. And more. Frozen and not. Didn't matter, they were handing them out like Halloween candy. I felt like singing the Halleluja chorus. I think I may have broken into a little personal salsa dance. Gloria Estefan was big back in 1985. So was my hair. But I digress. Back to the present. Sigh.

So, after 13 months of planning, saving, spending, shopping, the time has come. I’ve wrapped the coins from the coin jar ($225). I’ve brought the suitcases out of the basement. I “Febreezed” them all. I gathered the “essentials”, which includes the duct tape, the Gnome, night lights, power strips, door signs, 1000 spray cans of sunscreen in varying degrees of strength, power cords, cameras, snorkels and swim fins, water back pack, portable fan, fancy clothes, dressy clothes, casual clothes, swimsuits, shoes for every possible need, and hats of various needs.

The dining room is again the staging area. One suitcase is full and packed. Now to not grocery shop for the next few days. We have several parties to attend, so that will eliminate the need to cook dinner till Monday, at least. That leaves Tuesday and Wednesday, but what the heck, we’ll get carry out. I'll even let the girls order Chinese, which I do not like at all.

Foo: My Foo of choice this time is BBW Cucumber Melon, cause they had that foamy body wash again, so I went with that as my Trip Foo.

I will update on Wednesday as the day progresses and I get my act together.

[lauren-roxy]

I was so excited to see a trip report started from you Joan!!! Sounds like you have a really wonderful trip planned!!!

[chezp]

It sounds like an amazing trip - but my goodness, I can't believe how old the girls are now. Do you realise it's already three and a half years since we last saw you - it was December 2005. We will have to put that right...

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Joan! I know you guys are going to have a fabu time!!

[eff051102]

Sound like a great TR start. About 10 years ago my BFF and I cruised on RCI
and we also went to San Juan, Labadee and St. Thomas. We had a great time and
did the sea kayak in Labadee. I will say that while Labadee is very beautiful
the locals were VERY pushy and I hope things have changed. Now our San Juan
trip also was to the Bacardi Factory and YUMMO was that fun. We tried to shop
after the tour but we were so buzzed that we decided to go back to the ship. We
also brought back several bottles with us.

[Lemap760]

I love cucumber melon foo. Have fun on the cruise. I'll have to check out the Harbor on my drive down to VA next month.

[goofysdtr]

Looking forward to hearing about all the good times! Have fun on your trip!

[debsta922]

Sounds like an awesome trip Joan! and how long has it been since we've seen the word "Foo" on the boards?
Can't wait to read all about it when you get home!

[duck addict]

Any gnomes going

[JoanW]

Why yes, the gnome is already packed!

[mcc0313]

Sounds like it is going to be a blast, how great that you got so much family traveling together at once. What a great line up of ports, and your excurions sound great. Can't wait to hear more....

[DrDolphin]

Hey Miss Joanie!! Sounds like a great trip with the fam!! Can't wait to hear about all the hilarity!!

[JoanW]

A Packing Update:

One suitcase of shoes is now packed. The "formal/dressy" clothing is now down in the dining room. Pat asked me last night if he needed to pack. So, naturally I found his swimsuits he'll never use and then assembled his beloved underwear collection. The man owns more pairs than I do. And his shoes.

I've started a second suitcase of "stuff/nonclothing". That concerns me that we now look like we are taking a transatlantic cruise for a month.

And last night, for the first time since I mentioned the cruise in January 2008, when it was in the waiting/planning/hoping/stage, he asked if I signed him up for any excursions. Three days before sailing, past the window of opportunity for online sign up, he tells me he wants to do the Zip Line in Labadee with Grace and I AND parasail. Parasail! This is the man that thinks watching CNN on the bed in a beach condo is heaven! We shall see.

I finished up working today, but I could work a few hours in the morning if I need to. On the agenda for tomorrow, but not in any real order:

Mani/pedis for Grace and Rachel
Hair appointments for Grace and Rachel
Get mail held and stop papers
Get Weenie and Trixie ready for "camp"
Go to the bank to get cash for FAB and gambling funds.
Find transportation to the port (can't find anyone with a big enough van for five of us and luggage for a small nation, that won't cut into my FAB fund).
Empty out the fridge
Clean the house (God forbid something happen and someone HAS to come in and thinks that Clean House needs to be summoned)
Lose 25 lbs

Okay, I've had my Tylenol PM and am ready to hit pillow.

[chezp]

Wow - nearly there! Sounds like the preparations are going well.

[goofysdtr]

Hee! I love the "Lose 25 pounds!" That's on my list every day, too! Never seems to happen though.

Have a great time!